Why did Saul “Canelo” Alvarez Give Up His WBC belt?

The upcoming Gennady “GGG’ Golovkin, 35-0 (32) and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 47-1-1 (33), bout may be off for good since Alvarez recently gave up the WBC middleweight title. Only a super welterweight Alvarez may realize he is no middleweight and not heavy enough to fight the Super WBA, WBC and IBF middleweight champion.

Alvarez has fought only four times at 155 which is his highest weight of his career. Back in 2005 he turned professional at 139. In 2010 he won the WBC Silver super welterweight title weighing 150. In 2001 he won the vacant WBC super welterweight title. In 2013 he added the WBA title but lost to Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr., both his WBC and WBA titles in the seventh defense of the WBC title. He since won his last five fights.

In 2015 Alvarez won the WBC middleweight title weighing 155 defeating champion Miguel Cotto, 40-4, who came in at 153 ½. They should have been fighting for the super welterweight title not the middleweight title. Though Golovkin says he can fight from 154 to 168 he wants the four middleweight titles. If the Alvarez fight doesn’t go through he wants to fight WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders of the UK. Daniel Jacobs is the WBA champion but shows little interest in fighting for Golovkin’s super World title. Golovkin has scored twenty-22 straight stoppages since going the distance back in 2008 in his last eight rounder. He has sixteen title defenses making him number 22.

Erislandy Lara, 23-2-2, is the WBA super welterweight champion whom Alvarez defeated by split decision in 2014. Lara seemed fortunate to retain his title in his most recent fight against Vanes Martirosyan, 36-3-1. Lara has talked about fighting Golovkin but after this performance he better stay at 154. The Charlo brothers now hold the WBC title and IBF titles. Jermell is the WBC and Jermall, 28-0, the IBF champions. Jermall, 24-0, is going to defend his title against Philadelphia’s Julian “J-Rock” Williams, 22-0-1, his No. 1 contender. Jermell is to defend against No. 4 Demitrius Andrade, 23-0, who defeated No. 10 Willie Nelson, 25-3-1, in an elimination bout.

Some say Alvarez doesn’t want to pay the WBC title defense fee. Others say he is in a legal battle with his former promoter All Star Boxing and now Golden Boy Promotions that is close to coming to an end. It seems Alvarez knows he is a super welterweight and will re-enter that division but none of those champions will look forward to it from what they showed in their last fights. Jermall looked a little fortunate in his win over former champion Austin Trout who deserves a rematch even though he is No. 7 after the fight between Jermall and Williams.

Golovkin’s No. 1 contenders would bring little interest to the networks. WBC’s top contender is Jorge Sebastian Heiland, 27-4-2, of Argentina, interim WBA champion Alfonso Blanco, 12-0 from VZ living in CA, and IBF is Tureano Johnson, 19-1, of the Bahamas living in GA. They are not exactly household names to the networks. Only time will tell what Alvarez will decide to do but Golovkin will be ready when he does!